Replacement of n-type layers with a non-toxic APTES interfacial layer to improve the performance of amorphous Si thin-film solar cells

Hydrogenated amorphous Si (a-Si:H) thin-film solar cells (TFSCs) generally contain p/n-type Si layers, which are fabricated using toxic gases. The substitution of these p/n-type layers with non-toxic materials while improving the device performance is a major challenge in the field of TFSCs. Herein, we report the fabrication of a-Si:H TFSCs with the n-type Si layer replaced with a self-assembled monolayer (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES). The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results showed that the amine groups from APTES attached with the hydroxyl groups (-OH) on the intrinsic Si (i-Si) surface to form a positive interfacial dipole towards i-Si. This interfacial dipole facilitated the decrease in electron extraction barrier by lowering the work function of the cathode. Consequently, the TFSC with APTES showed a higher fill factor (0.61) and power conversion efficiency (7.68%) than the reference device (without APTES). This performance enhancement of the TFSC with APTES can be attributed to its superior built-in potential and the reduction in the Schottky barrier of the cathode. In addition, the TFSCs with APTES showed lower leakage currents under dark conditions, and hence better charge separation and stability than the reference device. This indicates that APTES is a potential alternative to n-type Si layers, and hence can be used for the fabrication of non-toxic air-stable a-Si:H TFSCs with enhanced performance.